Intentional Teaching Resources

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According to the Early Years Learning Framework, the definition of Intentional Teaching is as follows:

"Intentional teaching is deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful. Educators who engage in intentional teaching recognise that learning occurs in social contexts and that interactions and conversations are vitally important for learning. They actively promote children’s learning through worthwhile and challenging experiences and interactions that foster high-level thinking skills. They use strategies such as modelling and demonstrating, open questioning, speculating, explaining, engaging in shared thinking and problem solving to extend children’s thinking and learning. Educators move flexibly in and out of different roles and draw on different strategies as the context changes. They plan opportunities for intentional teaching and knowledge-building. They document and monitor children’s learning" (DEEWR, 2009 p.15).

The sentence from that paragraph that resonates the most strongly with me is:

"They use strategies such as modelling and demonstrating, open questioning, speculating, explaining, engaging in shared thinking and problem solving to extend children’s thinking and learning. Educators move flexibly in and out of different roles and draw on different strategies as the context changes."

No where does it mention "Instruction" in this definition. I want you to ponder this! Instruction is simply one single strategy amongst many, to be used sparingly. Children learn best through exploration, play, and active engagement. Children are intrinsically motivated to learn through play. Let's support them in this.

So, I have collated some quality and free resources on Intentional Teaching for your reading and learning pleasure. Intentional Teaching is more often than not, confused with a single teaching strategy: Instruction. Intentional Teaching is far more complex and multi-faceted than a single strategy. And my goal here is to support educators in moving towards other strategies and broadening their understandings.

This section of our blog, is simply touching on this. It is far bigger than what I am posting here.

As I source more worthwhile resources, I shall add them to this blog post... 

Making Sense of 'Intentional Teaching' 

Children’s Services Central and written by Sally Barnes 

Click here for the publication.

Think before you (inter)act:
what it means to be an intentional teacher 

by Ann S. Epstein

Click here for the publication.

Program practices that support intentionality in teaching 

by Pam Schiller

Click here for the publication. 

Intentionality: moving beyond outcomes

by Anthony Semann

Click here for the publication

More to come at a later date ... 

=Gabrielle= 

The Educational Leader EYLF

 (c) 2015 

Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice

The month of May is dedicated to Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice. Over the course of the month we will be sharing links and information that will support your understanding and practice with Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice.These links will be 'archived' in this blog post which will be updated to include the full listing.

We are operating in this way so that we can support you in your role as Educational Leader - or you may not be an Educational Leader, but simply an educator who is striving to better understand reflective practice.

Principle 5 of the Early Years Learning Framework: Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice.

"Reflective practice is a form of ongoing learning that involves engaging with questions of philosophy, ethics and practice. Its intention is to gather information and gain insights that support, inform and enrich decision-making about children’s learning. As professionals, early childhood educators examine what happens in their settings and reflect on what they might change.

Critical reflection involves closely examining all aspects of events and experiences from different perspectives. Educators often frame their reflective practice within a set of overarching questions, developing more specific questions for particular areas of enquiry.

Overarching questions to guide reflection include:

• What are my understandings of each child?

• What theories, philosophies and understandings shape and assist my work?

• Who is advantaged when I work in this way? Who is disadvantaged?

• What questions do I have about my work? What am I challenged by? What am I curious about? What am I confronted by?

• What aspects of my work are not helped by the theories and guidance that I usually draw on to make sense of what I do?

• Are there other theories or knowledge that could help me to understand better what I have observed or experienced? What are they? How might those theories and that knowledge affect my practice?"

(DEEWR, 2009 p. 13)

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From Facebook: 5th of May 2014

Continuing on with this month's theme ... Ongoing Learning and Reflective Practice ...

Here's a resource from Victoria: 

"About this guide: This guide is part of a series of eight guides to the Practice Principles in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF).

This guide aims to support early childhood professionals to engage in reflection in their work. The guide will support you to reflect alone or with a mentor, critical friend, with families, children and with other professionals. The guide can also be used as part of a regular cycle of meetings that support  learning communities.

Reflective practice is integral to quality improvement. It is a continuous process that over time leads to better outcomes for every child and family. It takes time and effort to embed it in daily practice. 

Reflective practice starts with taking time to think more carefully about what you, how you do it and why. Reading this guide and using it to support conversations with others will help you along the way.

The guide draws on the Evidence Paper for Practice Principle 8: Reflective Practice written for the Department of Education and Early Childhood  Development by the University of Melbourne. For detail about the evidence mentioned in this guide, and for more depth on this practice principle refer to the evidence paper." 

Written by Dr Anne Kennedy and Anne Stonehouse for 

the Early Childhood Strategy Division, Department of 

Education and Early Childhood Development.

Melbourne

January 2012

© State of Victoria (Department of Education 

and Early Childhood Development) 2012

https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/content/a2034da2-20b7-4cbb-8394-dcca73b8514e/edutrack_n758638_practice_guide_8_reflective_practice_final_for_publication_20120202.pdf 

Our Links: To Be Continued ... 

Goal Setting

Facebook: January 17 2014

Professional Goals:

From the Guide to the National Quality Standard:

Element 7.1.4 (pg. 178) Provision is made to ensure a suitably qualified and experienced educator or co-ordinator leads the development of the curriculum and ensures the establishment of clear goals and expectations for teaching and learning.

What we aim to achieve with element 7.1.4 (pg. 178)

Effective curriculum development requires ambitious goals and clarity of purpose. It requires attending to the principles, practice and outcomes of the approved learning framework. The role of the educational leader is to work with educators to provide curriculum direction and to ensure children achieve the outcomes of the approved learning framework.

The EYLF is based on the evidence of current research into children's learning and development.

The curriculum is defined as 'all the interactions, experiences, activities, routines and events planned and unplanned, that occur in an environment designed to foster children's learning and development'.

Q

As an educational leader how are you keeping yourself up to date with current practice and how are you providing this information to those you are leading?

Facebook: January 21 2014

Mentor Assistance with Goal Setting and Achievement

Adapted from: Goal-Setting-Guide.com (Nikitina, 2011)

As an Educational Leader, part of your role is to help educators achieve their stated project goals. While goal setting is their responsibility, your guidance in this matter can be very helpful. As the first step towards setting their program goals, educators are asked to consider what they want to achieve during the time they have with the Educational Leader. They are reminded that these goals are their own, not the ones that someone else (service owner, manager, director, other educators) thinks they should be setting. Your role here is not to help them decide what they should accomplish, but if they seek assistance, to help them frame their thoughts within basic goal setting parameters. You might also help them consider your timeframe and be realistic. Educators are instructed to set themselves up for success by making their goals achievable within the time you have together. If a goal is too large, then it can seem that progress is not being made or they may not be able to meet it within the timeframe. Help them by reminding them that sometimes it is advantageous to set smaller goals that will assist you with achieving the larger overall goal. Offer to assist the Educator if they appear to need guidance. Remember however, that these are their goals and that the educator should always be in the driver's seat.

Help them be realistic: It is important for them to set goals that they can achieve. You might help them towards this by considering with them some of the obstacles you might encounter that could hinder their ability to achieve them as stated. Be open to allowing the educator to re-evaluate their goals with you midway through your time together. This is an important aspect of the experience.

If your educator finds that one of their original goals is not attainable in the timeframe, or their needs or desires have changed, do not be afraid to suggest that they adjust their goals accordingly. Life rarely happens in a straight line. The personal insight and understanding that your educator has gained through the process could very well change how they feel about one or more of their goals. It is suggested that they work with you (if they choose) to make the goal one that is more appropriate and helpful.

Facebook: January 17 2014

How You Can Help The Educators

You and the educator can talk about the ways that he or she can accomplish their goals within the time frame you've defined. You can give them suggestions about how to meet this goal, help them make appropriate contacts, take them with you to networking events and hold them accountable for following through with the plans made to achieve the goal.

As they are working towards their goals, you can listen to what they are learning about their professional skills and their personal insights, ask them questions that may help them move closer to the goals' achievement and encourage them to continue in their efforts.

Achieving Goals

When the educator has achieved a goal, make time with him or her to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of its achievement, and observe the progress they have made towards other goals. If the goal was a significant one (or even if it isn't), you and the educator may choose to reward yourselves appropriately.

- Charlotte & Gaby

The Links

"Goal Setting Strategies"

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9-sJWJ-Im8&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3De9-sJWJ-Im8 

http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/7-ways-achieve-goals/

Welcome to 'The Educational Leader' Blog

We are 'The Educational Leader' that you need and always wanted. Let's face it, we don't get to pick our leaders at work, but you can pick your leader here!

The Educational Leader EYLF Facebook page was born from multiple conversations between the two of us: Charlotte Bowley and Gabrielle Flavin. We share very similar views so it seemed to make sense for us to combine forces and create this page dedicated to the role of Educational Leader.

We want to rage against the proliferation of “EYLF” branded pages and products that are leading educators up the garden path or trying to sell you something.

Who are we? And why are we qualified to be your Educational Leader of choice?

Charlotte Bowley: registered early childhood teacher, group leader, director, writer, lecturer, workshop presenter, QCOSS trainer, program officer and service support officer (Office for Children), TAFE teacher, project manager, playgroup coordinator and family day care coordinator.

These are the many positions I have experienced in my 22 years as an early childhood educator.

I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to engage in both hands on and office aspects of the early childhood sector. Perhaps the greatest time of real learning and growth for me as a professional was when working in the "Office for Children" (now OECEC) overseeing the compliance of children's services with the QLD Act & Regulations. In this role I also provided advice on legislation to children's services and to government ministers relating to change and improvement.

My passion for children's rights also led me to project manage the development of two 40min training DVD's for the Department of Child Safety, these were training tools used with potential Foster Carers, one of these specifically for indigenous Foster Carers.

After two years of maternity leave I returned to part time work and again a hands-on role as a Playgroup Coordinator/ TAFE teacher. This gave me the opportunity to not only be observing, planning and interacting with children but to also be role modelling quality practice to students; as well as interacting with families who participated in the service.

Being back in a hands-on role has renewed my belief that all children deserve the highest quality care and education and educators that are passionate about providing environments that reflect this belief.

My current role as a Family Day Care Coordinator has me supporting and mentoring educators whose service is delivered within their own home.

Gabrielle Flavin: early childhood educator, coordinator, early childhood teacher, team/room leader, educational leader, director, writer and blogger, educational mentor, workshop presenter, and project coordinator are a few of the positions I have held over the past 18 years working in early childhood education.

I have experience working in every age group from 6 weeks through to out of school hours services. I have worked as a team leader in nursery rooms through to preschool rooms as well as a coordinator of before and after school care and vacation care services.

I have also been a preschool room leader, acting director and Educational Leader all at the same time and I recognise the challenges of wearing multiple hats. I am currently working as a project coordinator working alongside 24 educational leaders for a not for profit provider.

On a professional level, I am interested in curriculum, programming and planning, sustainability and learning environments, alternative forms of education, nature and pedagogy, play work, gardening, interior design, photography, reflective practice and critical literacy.

- Charlotte & Gaby

© Charlotte Bowley & Gabrielle Flavin 2014 All Rights Reserved